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los poblanos historic inn and organic farm
IN ALBUQUERQUE, A FAMILY PRESERVES A PIECE OF HISTORY AT A STORYBOOK INN AND WORKING FARM
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ML | August 2012
PHOTOS: OPPOSITE, TOP BY VLADPHOTO, BOTTOM COURTESY LOS POBLANOS; THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP BY TOM KILROY, SALVADOR, WALTER GILBERT, MIKE CRANE
SURROUNDED BY 25 ACRES OF LAVENDER FIELDS,
cottonwood groves and gardens in the village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico, Los Poblanos has been drawing visitors since the 1930s, when congressman Albert Simms and his wife, Ruth Hannah McCormick Simms, purchased the then-800-acre ranch and commissioned the region’s foremost architect, John Gaw Meem, to create a cultural center to host their political and community events. The Simms’ vision for a lively gathering place lives on today at Los Poblanos, thanks to the ongoing efforts of three generations of the Rembe family, who not only purchased and reunited parcels of the original ranch, saving them from redevelopment, but worked to restore and preserve the property’s original architecture, artwork, agricultural fields and formal gardens. These days, guests can quite literally enjoy the fruits of the Rembes’ labors, harvested daily at Los Poblanos’ organic farm, which provides produce to the inn’s kitchen as well as a local CSA, and also cultivates lavender and honeybees. The original Simms residence now serves as a small inn, and the La Quinta Cultural Center still hosts celebrations, meetings and educational and cultural events. >>
STORY BY CHRISTINE DEORIO
IF YOU GO Los Poblanos offers some of the most unique guest experiences in the West, from a class on raising barnyard animals to a knitting club and trips to the onsite lavender fields, where you can pick your own fragrant bundle. Check the online events calendar for the latest lineup. PRICE POINT From $150 per night for a standard Ranch House room in the historic inn, and $178 per night for a Farm Suite. CONTACT 505-344-9297, lospoblanos.com
ML | www.mountainliving.com 45